Canadian Employers not Doing Much to Ease Commuting
Costs

August 14, 2008 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Canadian
employers are implementing only limited measures to provide
employees with relief from commuting costs, according to a
new survey conducted by Hewitt Associates.

A Hewitt press release said that for the 236
Canadian organizations that responded to the online
survey, almost half offer flexible work locations or
telecommuting, while 64% provide flexible work hours,
including condensed work weeks and flexible start times.
However, employer feedback suggests that the main reason
for providing this flexibility is employee wellness, not
the high cost of gas.

“Only a handful of employers provide
company-sponsored transportation to and from mass transit
or parking subsidies for alternative fuel vehicles or
carpool vehicles,” stated Jeff Vathje, a senior
compensation consultant with Hewitt, in the press
release.

Commuter cost-cutting initiatives cited by
respondents include:

11% of organizations provide a subsidy for mass
transit;

20% provide non-financial support for car
poolers, like a bulletin board to facilitate car pool
arrangements; and

36% provide bike racks, change rooms, or other
non-financial support for bicycle commuters.

Canadian employers are doing a better job of
addressing the impact of rising gas prices on business
travel. Almost two-thirds indicate they have increased
their mileage reimbursement rate in the last year for
employees who use their own vehicles for business-related
travel, and 53% plan to review those rates over the next
six months.